Last season’s Fall Nature Photo Scavenger Hunt turned out to be a lot of fun – both for us and for those of you who played along. Since winter often finds us struggling for an excuse to head outdoors in the face of cold temps and generally dreary weather, it seems like some new inspiration is in order.The only rule for the winter nature photo scavenger hunt is that there are no … [Read more...]
Birdseed Ornaments
Nature fun idea No. 4 on our Countdown to Christmas list was to design birdseed ornaments.This is a great activity for cold winter days when you’re looking for an indoor activity that connects kids to nature. Kids will enjoy mixing up the ingredients, but know that molding the birdseed ornaments is a slow process – it’ll take several hours to an entire evening before these … [Read more...]
Nature-Inspired Painted Ornaments
Nature fun idea No. 3 on our Countdown to Christmas list was to make an ornament from nature. Last year’s hand-made ornaments using clear, acrylic glass ornaments and bits from nature were a big hit. But this year we wanted to try something new.Although I have since seen painted ornaments on Pinterest, it was a fellow parent at The Big Explorer’s school that introduced this … [Read more...]
String Fresh Garland for the Birds
Nature fun idea No. 1 on our Countdown to Christmas list was to string popcorn and cranberry garland for the birds. This is one of those activities best done slowly. There’s no reason to rush. The fun is in sitting together, connecting and trying to see what kind of creations you can come up with. Allow anywhere from 15 minutes to much longer, depending on your child’s … [Read more...]
Countdown to Christmas: 24 Days of Nature Fun
The madness is about to begin. December 1 marks the official countdown to Christmas in our house. But not in the sense you might be thinking. Sure, the boys are on cloud nine dreaming of all the gifts they claim they’d love to have. But something else is at work here, too. The Big Explorer told me today that what he loves most about the holiday season isn’t the gifts he … [Read more...]